Chollo (Shilluk) Petition to UN Sec.Gen. on the Establishment Order Issued by the President of the Republic of South Sudan Dividing the Country into 28 States

Subject: Chollo (Shilluk) Petition on the Establishment Order Issued by the President of the Republic of South Sudan Dividing the Country into 28 States

Dear Mr. Secretary General,
We, the Chollo (Shilluk) community in the Diaspora would like to present this petition to you as an appeal to urgently intervene to arrest the catastrophic situation that may befall our country, the Republic of South Sudan, as a result of President Salva Kiir’s recent “Establishment Order Number 36/2015 for the creation of 28 states”.

We are profoundly concerned about the Establishment Order because it has adversely affected the territorial boundaries of our kingdom, the Chollo Kingdom. Thus we demand immediate revocation of the Establishment Order. The situation is so grave and deeply disturbing that we urge your immediate attention and action before the situation develops into a catastrophic confrontation and conflict between the affected communities.

Your Excellency, here is our case and recommendations for your consideration:
On Friday the 2nd of October 2015, the President of the Republic of South Sudan surprised the country by issuing an Order establishing 28 States instead of the existing ten. No studies or popular consultations were carried out as to the viability of the new states some of which are quite small counties.

The Order is a flagrant violation of some Articles of the Constitution: 55(3), 59(a), 86(5), and 162(1) among others. It is also a contravention of the “Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan” signed in Addis Ababa and Juba on the 17th and 26th of August. This becomes abundantly clear in reference to the Preamble, Articles 3 and 15 of Chapter I and more importantly Articles 2 and 3 of Chapter VIII.

The Peace Agreement has sufficiently provided that the devolution of power and resources to the sub-national levels of government will be dealt with during the Transitional period which is about to begin in two months’ time. This being the case, why issue the Order now that purports to be doing the same?

The answer is that the President and his Jieng (Dinka) Council of Elders see the implementation of the Peace Agreement as obstructing their long well thought out plan to establish a Dinka-controlled state in Upper Nile. The timing is critical so as to create a new reality on the ground in Upper Nile and Unity states, with Governors to be nominated by the armed Opposition, before the commencement of the implementation of the Peace Agreement.

In Upper Nile State, Chollo lands that were being claimed by the Dinka east of the Nile are granted to them, and the oil territories in Unity state are carved out into a state which is exclusively Dinka by joining two Dinka counties which do not share a border (unless a Nuer territory that borders both is annexed to the new state), so as to prove Kiir’s theory that oil in South Sudan belongs to the Dinka.

This is purely a tribal game. Little wonder that it is only the Dinkas who are celebrating in support of the move.

The consequence of this gerrymandering is that the Chollo Kingdom got divided into two with some Chollo in one state west of the Nile and others in another east of it. The Chollo in the east are to be reduced into a minority in a Dinka state that extends from the border with Sudan in the north to the northern border of the Fangak Nuer in Jonglei state in the south.

The Dinkas that formed the northern part of the old Fangak District in Jonglei state are to be annexed to this large state to increase the number of the Dinkas in it to ensure tribal domination of other minorities including Chollo.

Therefore, the Chollo Kingdom has been divided between two states for the first time in its 500 years since its inception. It is also the first time for State and County borders to be breached since the advent of administration in Sudan and South Sudan.

The Chollo Kingdom predates the concept of government in South Sudan and Chollo cannot accept any power on earth to temper with their system for tribal interest. Since President Salva Kiir is bent on creating states composed of single tribes, no tribe or tribal section is more worthy than Chollo nation to get its own state by virtue of its organization, history, economic viability and population size.

It is a well known fact that some Dinkas neighbouring Chollo have been laying baseless claims on Chollo lands east of the Nile since late 1970s up to the time of the issuance of this Order.

In the past, the authorities in Juba have ruled in favor of Chollo on the basis of facts on the ground. However, since President Salva Kiir assumed power he has been consistently supporting the Dinka in their greed to grab Chollo land.

All Chollo attempts to get the issue resolved through a technical committee to peg the borders on the ground in accordance with the agreed 1/1/1956 borders fell on deaf ears. One petition after another to President Salva Kiir himself and his government were thrown into the wastebasket.

We have given a detailed account of these attempts in our petition to the Secretary General of the United Nations dated 19 July, 2010, which is hereby attached for easy reference. By this Order, President Salva Kiir is misusing power in order to impose new borders between Chollo and the Dinka as claimed by the Dinka.

This position proves what we have been saying all along that the government of President Salva Kiir was complicit in the insecurity that has been created by the Dinka in Chollo Kingdom since 2005.

This attempt by the government in Juba to give Chollo land to the Dinka threatens instability in the area and is a recipe for conflict and confrontation. Let the Dinka neighbouring Chollo tell the world the moment in history when they were occupying the lands they now claim, and had to be subsequently displaced from it by Chollo.

Chollo displacement of Dinka at some distant time in history would be the only plausible reason for the Dinka to claim their lands back. However, there is nothing of the sort.

On the contrary, it has been the Chollo sovereign that had provided protection throughout history to Dinka neighbouring the Kingdom. As mentioned earlier, Chollo came to where they are today in the 16th century.

The first Dinka to arrive east of the Nile did so in the 18th century (Abilang and Dingjol). The rest came to their present settlements in the 19th century following the Nuer migration to the current Jonglei state. The Ngok Dinka are actually occupying areas vacated by the Anuak on their eastward migration as evidenced by the names Abong, Adong, Gel Achiel, etc. These are well documented historical facts.

There is no doubt that the raison d’etre for the issuance of this Order at this time is to obstruct the implementation of the recently signed Peace Agreement that is likely to stop tribal schemes. It is important to bear this mind.

President Salva Kiir’s objective to grab the lands of Chollo and other tribes in the interest of his tribe the Dinka through abuse of power must be confronted by all. We humbly call for the following steps to be undertaken:

(a)- The Establishment Order issued by President Salva Kiir on 2/10/2015 is to be declared null and void as it violates both the Constitution and the Peace Agreement;

(b)- The guarantors of the Peace Agreement (in the region and internationally) must take a decisive action to prevent President Salva Kiir or anyone else from obstructing the implementation of the Agreement as its unraveling will result in a more destructive war between the tribes marking the end of the new country.

(c)- President Salva Kiir to be held accountable for committing gross violation of the Constitution and throwing the country into a tribal conflict;

(d)- The institution of an independent and impartial international fact-finding committee to investigate the atrocities that took place in Chollo land since 2005;

(e)- On the basis of the findings of the investigation committee above, all the culprits ought to be committed to a transparent international judicial process;

(f)- The issues of devolution of power and resources to sub-national levels must be deferred to be discussed during the Transitional Period as stated in the Peace Agreement;

(g)- A technical committee of surveyors must be formed at the commencement of the Transition so as to demarcate the boundaries of the old districts and provinces comprising the existing counties or states as per the 1/1/1956 boundary. These are the agreed boundaries as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement 2005 and the GoSS Council of Minsters’ resolutions in its meetings Nos. 01/2009 and 08/2009 in the year 2009. This demarcation must precede discussing the change of states’ borders.

The Chollo nation is a peace-loving people and has never been in conflict with its neighbors throughout the modern history. So far, we have been seeking and still seek amicable settlement of the land dispute affecting our people.

However, it appears that some quarters are misreading our peaceful nature to be a sign of weakness. If pushed to the wall as this Order is bent on, the Chollo are more than ready to exercise their right of self-defense under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in order to defend their ancestral land and live with dignity.

Your Excellency, your prompt intervention into this serious security matter is necessary and urgently needed, so as to avert total anarchy South Sudan may descend into if President Salva Kiir’s “Establishment Order Number 36/2015 for the Creation of 28 States” is not revoked.

9 Comments

Dr. Ajang et al,
It is very reassuring to hear a clear and strong message from the Chollo community in diaspora, in defence of your land and kingdom. The Chollo are historically a formidable nation in the history of old Sudan and indeed South Sudan since our recorded history from the era of Turco-Egyptian Sudan, to date. Chollo war heros during Garangs ‘ 21 year war like Oyai Deng Ajak, have now successfully been maginalised, so is the rising SPLM star Pagan Amum.
The Jieng who had succumbed to Arab slavery and suffered degradation and indignity now want to inflict the same on others inorder to erase their bitter and painful past.I like your declaration to resist any attempt to annex Chollo land to Jieng land grabbers by all means necessary. All communities in South Sudan adversely affected by Kiir’s Jieng Order must rise up in defence of their land and dignity. This is our human rights and no one should be allowed to take it away from us.
Just as a brother advised the Nuers to unite and stop playing into the Jieng policy of divide and rule, so must the Cholllo. In the past Chollo leaders were despicably made their worst enemies. Pagan Amum and Dr. Lam Akol could hardly see face to face. So were the two Peter Adwioks. Gentlemen, for the shake of your community and for the shake of South Sudan, put your individual prides aside and embrace each othe in the spirit of love and brotherhood. The old adage that a divided house cannot stand is still true to day. the enemy knows this and trys to keep its own house together from Notther Bahar el Ghazal, to Renk and Bor.
The same advice applies to Equatorians, who should stop burying their heads in the sand that the war is between Nuers and Dinka. The Jieng ultimately want Equatoria and so have brought the war to Equatoria, whether we like it or not. Equatorian have been routinely murdered and disappeapere since 2011. Wonduruba the home of late Dr. Samson Kwaje a Kiir loyalist, has been decimated. The guns have been turned by JJ Okot, an Acholi, on combing and annihilating the people of Mundri and Maridi while Equatorians in Patliament and government sit and watch sing Kiir ‘s praises!.
Johnson Olony, deserves a war medal. It was his bravery and wittiness, that was the game changer in Kiir’s mindless tribal war against the Chollo people on Chollo land. He sent Jubà reeling for days. Malong who boasted he wiould clear the rebells in one month had to swallow his words and pride. Thanks to the AUSC Report, Malong and his boss could all end up in The Hague, to answer for war crimes. The bravery of Olony and the Chollo people is the level of bravery all non Jieng people of South Sudan must demonstrate to reclaim our land and our dignity from the marauding Jieng colonisers. Dr. Lam Akol, has shredded the Jieng Order. Ambrose Ring could not have a leg to stand on and fled. Unrelentingly, a case has been filed in the Supreme Court against the Order. If this is not unflinching determination, I don’t know what it is.

Thumbs up for the Chollo in diaspora. You have spoken well. May your courage be an inspiration for others who are still standing by the fence.

Sorry guys, the United Nations was established on Nations not on Tribes bases. In 2011, South Sudan asked the world’s nations to accommodate her into the new world and of course we were welcomed as a nation not as a tribe so writing letters to the United Nation is not only a waste to your time but also putting your signatures into the dark room. South Sudan has its own house and every head of the house has his/her own way of reorganising the house so bear in mind that UN will never ask the government to undo the order number 36/2015.

Joana
You have become a useless aspirant for political career. It would be better for you to go and study politics. It is the writing of backward politicians of likes of you who base their policies on tribal line the disappointment and the embracement Riack got in America. Your writings are exposing the evil of Splm in opp. Kirr is going ahead and Riack will be forced to sign the security plan. He has swallowed a hook which he will not be able to remove out. He had wanted to mislead the international community by pretending to be a peace make but now he is caught by the Americans. This time no plan B. If he messed this time he will follow his jihadist mentor Omer El Bashir to the Haag. Peace should come this time to S.Sudan. people back home are happy with the creation of the 28 states . What we want to know is your links with criminal Omer El Bashir. What is this political union about. Is it for the islamazation of Africa or the expansion of the jihadist empire. This close political links started before 1987 to 1991 and up to date now resulting to your leadership now travelling in Basirs presidential plane. When ever Riack is interviewed about this marriage he gets angry. What is underground S.Sudanse want to know today.

Alex,
You are right there is no plan B for people who have wilfully abused state powers to reign genocide and terror on its citizens. The drones are coming and will get you dead or alive. So better hand userselves over to face justice.

I am very disappointed at you little lady, you’re using too much energy to spew out the venom wish will never help you in the long run. Dinkas are peace loving people in south Sudan, they love all tribes. Unlike you who hates the Dinkas, you will never win any fight politically or otherwise. We’re in charge and there’s nothing you or the butcher of south Sudan Machar can about it. I wish you can tell the imbeciles who agree with you to come home and see what we’re doing, building the country in your absence.

Which country? A country where there has been state enforced cannibalism in the 21 century. Give us a break. There shall be no running away from this charge, neither to South Africa or to India not even 6 feet deep. At least we are beginning to see who is the real coward: the small man in black hat. I bet even you mr big man cannot rescue him. Let him come home to face the music.

Ms. Adams, you make me laughs, you’re so confused, please come out in your comfort zone and smell the rose like a lady. You and your coward who ran off during the war are now claiming to be brave fighters, and they want the piece of the pie… what a joke. South Sudan lost 2 millions of it’s citizen, and 80 percent of them who died were from the Dinka tribe. Living comfortable in foreign (England) countries and you think you’re going to over throw elected government of president Kiir … you and the “United Kingdom 9” must be hallucinating. We’ll build/run south Sudan with you or without you people, so far we’re dong great little lady. Wish you and “United Kingdom 9” well in your hatred of the Dinka tribe. We’ll see you all on the on dark side – hehehe.bad joke !, be good little lady.

To those Chollo Kingdom:
If we say (Jiluo,Jaang and Nuer) are the same mother and the same father. Why do others is not belong to there.
Upper Nile is the main Land last migration for Jieng move out there to Kuong or Bar el gazal, due to floots, starvation and slave raiders later. what was the reason why name lokjang and Lokchollo was created? Chollo people loyal to King are not buried in the East. Jieng,Apuny and Anyuak are the one that are belong to the East side of the Nile and is well known in the history.

I do not know if chollo will go to Nuba, Jieng will drive them to Nuba North if they which. Jieng can take some Jieng elements in Chollo people. The land of Ayueldit is getting claim by Chollo? Ayueldit Land is from Makuar to Mading Bor East of Nile. Jieng have two Deng, Deng South and Deng North of old Kuc.

If chollo could ask descendant Awin Yor peoplel,would help Chollo know the old Land dispute. There was a deal in the past between Ngok East Bank and Chollo West Bank border, ask your Chollo elders. The centre of River Nile is our Border from West Bank to East Bank. If you go farther West again, you will find another Ngok of Ruweeng at your back. Chollo must think twice and historically, and not letting young Chollo dies for
war that is not winnable.

Border from Padang North of Makal to Mading Bor is old name was “Deeng” after old name of “Deeng” we left in North Sudan. If Chollo does not tell young people the true history of the land, they will dies more and at the end will lost it.
Apadang North Makal did not went to Gong de Ruweeng. Rut and Thoi did not all went Ruweeng areas for Chollo to claim their land. Ayueldit was burried in Pangak,and old Thon Alual places are the high places occupy by chollo and Nuer in the East Bank of Nile.

Good encouragement,Jouna, your absolutely right, Let Dinkas know that the fire now started to flame under the aches. All sixty three tribes sooner or later will unite and face this jiang community before they destroyed the country. South Sudan is not only belongs to jiang. it’s belong to all sixty four tribes of south Sudan that live in peace and harmony for many years, specially the Equatorian tribes. Now, because of jiang bad leadership, south Sudan became a nightmare to its won citizens. We will see in the up coming election after transitional government of national unity. South Sudan will say their words with one voice, no more another jiang to be president, yes to none jiang.